The “Sagrada Familia” is a highlight of every visit to Barcelona.
The Basilica Sagrada Familia is the most famous landmark of Barcelona and one of the most impressive sights of the city. The church is huge in size. It is often called “cathedral”, but without having a bishop’s seat.
In the middle of the 19th century, José María Bocabella planned to build a church in Barcelona and to dedicate it to the Holy Family “Sagrada Familia”. He chose a plot of land still within the street grid of the then “Poblet” (small village), in today’s Eixample district. A property closer to the city centre was not possible due to the already high property prices at that time.
The diocesan architect Francisco del Villar initially planned the church. He designed a church in the gothic style and the work on the church began in 1882 with the construction of the crypt. Due to fundamental disagreements with Bocabella, however, he had to resign from his commission. A few months later, in 1883, the young architect Antoni Gaudí took his place. Gaudí found his life’s work there and worked on the Sagrada Familia until his death on 10 June 1926.
Under Gaudí, the church gained its expansive dimension and lavish design. He was convinced that the city of Madrid would one day be known for “his” church.
Today, the unfinished building is one of the most important sightseeings of Barcelona and has been attracting numerous tourists for many decades. In 2014, 3.2 million visitors came. The annual budget was 25 million euros. This is completely in the spirit of Gaudi: “The Sagrada Familia is the work of the people for the people”. Everything is possible at the same time: construction work, visits and church services.
Make a musical visit to this famous cathedral. There are these works for wind orchestra about the Sagrada Familia.
